The two proclaimed knights of the Kingdom clash their armaments as the sound of the weapons colliding rings out.
Rigurd, the 2nd Commander, grips his tough warhammer in one hand and wields his similarily made shield in the other.
Meanwhile, William, the [Immortal Guardian], merely holds his arm in an 'X' pattern, blocking the attack. He mentions,
"Dear Friend! You have quite the sturdy partner there, don't you!"
Rigurd scoffs, digging his foot into the earth and pushing into William.
With a shout, William presses his arms off of the warhammer, propelling him backward. He exclaims,
"Well! I have a trusty partner of my own as well! Behold!"
He holds both his arms out and positions his hands vertically as if he were holding something.
Materializing out of his grasp, a large blade grows upward.
Made with the same dark, smoky material as William, a greatsword with a glistening, sharp edge, a wide guard stretching across his fist, and a long grip, enough to comfortably fit two hands.
He announces,
"Weapon Forgery: Blade of Restoration, Acheron!"
He holds takes his sword with one hand, holding the enormous blade in an unorthodox way, and begins stomping towards Rigurd.
In response, Rigurd brings his shield up and in front of his chest.
Pulling his weapon forward, William strikes down on Rigurd, a loud clash accompanying the attack.
Rigurd takes the blow as his feet are dug into the terrain below.
Rigurd swings his arm forward, pushing William's blade back.
Carried by the weight of the weapon, William is taken a bit off-balance but manages to find his footing with little difficulty.
Lifting his Acheron into the air, he takes another haphazard slice at Rigurd with which the Commander defends with ease.
William's repeated blows are accompanied by a rhythmic cry of,
"Ha! Take that!"
The dark, grayish hue of William's weapon melds with the dirty and rocky exterior of Rigurd's tools.
Upholding his duty of the shield, Rigurd is trapped into a position of defense while William relentlessly lays on his boastful attacks, as a 'Hero of the People' would.
Rigurd can feel William's offense beginning to wane as the [Dullahan] notices it himself as well.
In an attempt to cover it up, he jests,
"Dear friend, I see that we have been going at this back-and-forth for quite a while now! Could you perhaps be suffering from the effects of exhaustion?"
Scoffing, Rigurd replies,
"Of course not. On the other hand, you don't seem to be doing too well."
Realizing his cover has been blown, William makes an excuse,
"Ah! Well... I appreciate your concern and it does seem like my right hand has become a little weary... But! Worry not, my friend! I shall mend my fatigue in an instant!"
Rigurd thinks,
"Is he going to use a [Skill]?"
William takes a thundering leap back and plunges his dark Acheron into the ground. He stretches his arms upward and takes a deep breath in preparation.
Rigurd watches in anticipation, waiting for William to make his move. His pose, at the ready, Rigurd is left speechless.
William brings his hands out, holding them open. Then he takes both and picks up his weapon with two hands instead of one.
He lifts his sword and mentions with a quite jovial tone,
"There we go! All better!"
Rigurd takes a sigh of relief, a little frustrated that he got worked up over something like that.
William begins taking a few slow steps forward as he speeds up into a walk, then a jog, then a run, and finally into a full sprint.
The sound of his rattling armor rings out around them and the ground shakes every time his feet hit the ground.
Rigurd takes this time to strengthen his pose by staggering his feet and bending his legs slightly.
William raises his blade, Acheron, into the air, still gripping it with both hands.
Rigurd prepares himself as well by holding his shield in front of his body with one arm and placing the other arm behind to get a better hold.
With a loud cry, William crashes down with his greatsword as shards of rock fly into the air.
Accompanying his manly shout, a loud cracking noise echoes out and Rigurd shield is split into two. The sides separate, falling onto the ground on either side of him.
With the sword still coming at him, Rigurd uses his remaining weapon, his warhammer, to parry William's blade and swipes it away.
Understanding his situation, Rigurd hastily chants,
"StampedeKingoftheTaurusAsterion!"
Once again, the brown-colored, stone bull appears behind him, but this time much faster.
William reacts, shouting,
"Not so fast there, my friend!"
He exclaims,
"Strike of Retribution!"
Beneath Asterion, multiple thin pillars of dark, ashy mist shoot out and bind him down, effectively rendering him immobile.
Rigurd glances behind him, seeing the trapped Asterion, and quickly focuses back on William, who is now approaching with his weapon, ready to attack.
Rigurd swings at William with the sharp end of his warhammer as William reacts and slashes at it, breaking through and sending rock fragments flying.
Waiting for this opening, Rigurd directs the warhammer's momentum the other way, attacking with the blunt end and smacking William right in the gut.
William makes a noise as if he were sucker punched and stumbles back.
Rigurd stands up straight, closes his eyes and begins quietly chanting,
"I heed to the ground beneath my feet, still and steadfast... May its strength support me well..."
William regains his composure and pushes his legs against the terrain, rushing at Rigurd.
He drags his sword behind him while announcing,
"You've fended me off thus far, dear friend! But I regret to inform you that the time has come for our spar to a close! The time to truly reveal my strength as a 'Hero of the People'!"
The dark, gray material begins to leak through the cracks in his armor and he shouts,
"Strike of Resolution!"
The blade in his hand grows longer and longer and he inches closer and closer.
Finishing up his chant, Rigurd commands,
"... From earth I was born and to earth, I shall return... Halt, [Personal Skill: Zero-Motion Barrier]!"
A pale dome grows out of Rigurd and a deafening silence spreads outwards.
No more thundering footsteps or shouting warriors. A hush looms around them as all movement ceases to exist.
Anything and everything in the vicinity is rendered motionless, including the two fighters.
Frozen in place, Rigurd stands with his eyes close and William is stuck in a position ready to strike his enemy.
With this battle coming to a standstill, the battlefield near the 3rd District is getting feisty.